December 5, 2019 |
Known for its bustling scramble crossing flanked by a patchwork of brightly coloured billboards and the statue of Hachikō (the exceptionally loyal dog), Shibuya is also one of Tokyo’s best shopping districts and is billed as “a birthplace of new culture.” Inside the newly revamped and freshly refurbished Shibuya Parco, a vast multi-story department store complex, is Issey Miyake Shibuya – a storewhich seamlessly integrates a full range of Issey Miyake brands from Homme Plissé to Bao Bao.
Surrounded by panoramic windows that look over the city, the minimalistic space was designed by the esteemed Japanese product designer Naoto Fukasawa. Inside, the focal point is 9.8 meter-long rail that snakes in the shape of a letter S, bringing the space together to draw attention to the cacophony of forms, colours and materials of the Issey Miyake collections juxtaposed against the white and grey interior. “The gentle black curves extend to the back as if tracing the S-shaped space. Clothing is at the centre of the space,” explains Fukasawa. “A certain rhythm is created in the space by hanging clothes—in some places close together and in others, with more room between them—on the hanger racks that go through the centre of the line of traffic. I came up with a space where you can experience the ambience and clothing of Issey Miyake.”
To celebrate the opening of the shop, Playgrounds – Stories Behind Homme Plissé Issey Miyake, was screened atWhite Cine Quinto (on the 18th Floor of Shibuya Parco) on Friday 22nd November and through the weekend. The hour-long film chronicles the inception of Homme Plissé Issey Miyake. It begins featuring scenes of the Aomori University Men’s Rhythmic Gymnastics team performing in 2013 for the line’s debut collection and moves on to show the creation of the January and June 2019 Paris Fashion Week presentations respectively titled Playground and A Walk in the Park shown in Paris. It captures the relationship between the models and director, the American choreographer Daniel Ezralow, behind the creation of the dynamic performances. To also commemorate the opening, the advanced sales of the Momo series was launched concurrently. On our list of shops we’d like to visit, Issey Miyake Shibuya has gone straight to the top.
Issey Miyake Shibuya is now open at Shibuya Parco 2F, 15-1 Udagawa-cho, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo 150-0052
